CPA Exam Passing Score: What 75 Means, How Scaling Works, and What to Do Next

Verified September 15, 2026: the current cpa exam passing score is 75 or higher on an individual CPA Exam section. AICPA and NASBA report scores on a 0–99 scale. A 75 is not 75% correct, and the exam is not curved against the testing group. As a result, this guide explains the confirmed rule, what remains unchanged, and what evidence should shape your next study decision.

That answer is simple, but the interpretation is not. For clarity, candidates often ask how many questions they need to get right, whether a 74 is “close enough,” or whether a high pass rate changes the cutoff. Those questions need separate answers because a passing standard, a scaled score, and a group pass rate are different things.

Use the official pages as the rule boundary. Next, use the current Blueprint, weighted practice evidence, and your Score Notice or Candidate Performance Report to decide what to do next. Instead, do not invent a percentage conversion from the number on the score report.

For a broader preparation path, continue with our CPA Exam Study Guide.

The Current CPA Exam Passing Score Answer

Therefore, the answer is 75 or higher for any section of the Uniform CPA Exam. Specifically, the rule applies to the three Core sections—AUD, FAR, and REG—and to the selected Discipline section—BAR, ISC, or TCP. In other words, the passing number is a section-level standard, not a different cutoff for each section.

First, AICPA says scores are reported on a 0–99 scale and that the total reported score does not represent a percentage correct. NASBA gives the same candidate-facing answer: to pass a section, you must earn 75 or higher. The pages checked for this guide were current on September 15, 2026; reopen them if AICPA or NASBA publishes a scoring change.

What a CPA Exam Passing Score of 75 Means—and What It Does Not

In plain terms, a score of 75 means the reported scaled score meets the established passing standard for that section. It does not mean that exactly 75% of the questions were correct. The scaled process considers whether responses are correct and the relative difficulty of questions, so a fixed correct-answer percentage cannot be safely reverse-engineered from the final number.

Similarly, 74 is not a rounded-up pass. NASBA’s score information says a candidate who scores 74 must retake that section and receives a Candidate Performance Report. Treat the number as a decision boundary: the official result tells you the outcome, while the CPR and your own practice record help explain where to focus.

However, the 75 standard is not curved to make a target share of candidates pass. AICPA and NASBA explain that candidates are evaluated against an established standard rather than against one another. Therefore, a strong or weak quarterly pass rate does not prove that the exam became easier or harder for your test date.

• 75 or higher can establish: a passing result for the named section.
• 75 cannot establish: a percentage-correct result, a personal pass probability, or a guaranteed readiness level for another section.
• A 74 can establish: that the section must be retaken under the current candidate-facing guidance.

The Confirmed CPA Exam Passing Score Rules at a Glance

In practice, the table below keeps the factual answer and the useful candidate response in separate columns. “Current” means the official page was checked on September 15, 2026. The action column is preparation guidance, not a new AICPA or NASBA rule.

How AICPA and NASBA Explain the Score

For comparison, the CPA Exam combines multiple-choice questions and task-based simulations. For AUD, FAR, REG, BAR, and TCP, AICPA and NASBA describe a 50% MCQ and 50% TBS weighting. ISC is the exception, with 60% MCQs and 40% TBSs. These are score-component weights, not a statement that you need a matching percentage correct in each item type.

In other words, the two components are scaled rather than simply added as raw correct-answer percentages. The official explanation points to factors such as whether a response is correct and the relative difficulty of the question. Therefore, a practice quiz percentage can help you find a content gap, but it is not a reliable formula for predicting a final CPA Exam score.

Who the Rule Affects, and What Remains Unchanged

By contrast, the rule affects every candidate receiving a score for a current CPA Exam section. It does not matter whether the candidate is taking a Core section or the selected Discipline: the passing boundary remains 75 or higher. The current section model is three Core sections plus one Discipline choice.

At the same time, what can change is the content a candidate must prepare for. AICPA’s current Blueprint resource links Blueprints effective January 1, 2026 and describes the content, tasks, skill levels, item types, and weighting. Therefore, “75 is passing” should be paired with “which Blueprint and which section am I preparing for?”

What a CPA Exam Passing Score of 75, 74, or Lower Means

After a score of 75 or higher, save the Score Notice and check your jurisdiction’s current credit and application instructions. A passing score answers the section result, but local records and next steps still need confirmation.

After a score of 74 or lower, read the official Score Notice and CPR when available. NASBA explains that a failed section leads to a retake path and that the CPR compares performance information by content area and item type. Use that document as a diagnostic input, not as a replacement for the current Blueprint or your practice record.

In that case, a near-miss is a documented review task, not a reason to add random hours. First identify the section, score, and documents. Next identify the repeated content or task pattern. Finally choose one change to the study plan and set a date to recheck timed work.

Build a 75 Readiness Card

In short, the 75 Readiness Card is a simple way to keep the official standard from becoming an unhelpful myth. Write the official rule on the left and your candidate evidence on the right. The card is not an AICPA scoring formula; it is a decision aid for deciding what to verify next.

1. Fix the rule boundary. Write “75 or higher; 0–99 scale; not percentage correct; checked September 15, 2026.” Record the section beside it.
2. Fix the content boundary. Open the current Blueprint for AUD, FAR, REG, BAR, ISC, or TCP and mark the content areas and task statements you still cannot explain or apply.
3. Fix the item-type boundary. Check that your practice includes MCQs and TBSs in the section’s official weighting. A single raw quiz percentage is too narrow.
4. Fix the result boundary. If you failed, read the Score Notice and CPR. If you passed, save the notice and confirm the board’s credit record and next requirement.
5. Choose one next action. Continue if evidence is improving, target one repeated content or task gap, or build a retake review around the document and the gap you can name.

For example, imagine a candidate receives 74 on FAR. The number does not tell the candidate to convert the result into 74% correct or to restart every topic. The better sequence is narrower: read the CPR, compare weaker areas with the FAR Blueprint, review timed MCQ and TBS work, and choose one recurring gap for the next study block. The official score supplies the boundary; the evidence supplies the plan.

Use Your CPA Exam Passing Score Without Turning It Into a Percent

For that reason, keep the reported CPA Exam score, local practice result, and any group pass rate in separate boxes in your study record. They answer different questions: the score is the section result, practice is local evidence, and a pass rate describes a defined group and period.

This separation also helps when someone asks, “How many did you get right?” You can say that the final score is scaled and not a percentage-correct report. Then show the practice evidence that is actually useful: which Blueprint task was tested, which item type produced the miss, whether the miss repeated under time pressure, and what you will do next.

What to Verify Before Your Next Attempt

First, start with the source date. Reopen the AICPA scoring page and NASBA Score Information page if a new exam-format or scoring notice appears. Then verify the section name and make sure you are using the current Core or Discipline Blueprint rather than an old section outline.

Next, verify the evidence that belongs to your decision: Blueprint coverage, timed MCQ and TBS work, and—when retaking—the Score Notice, CPR, error log, and record of what changed.

Finally, verify the local rule. Credit windows, score review, appeal procedures, and application steps can depend on the Board of Accountancy. The national 75 standard does not answer every jurisdiction question, so leave those details to the local source.

Common Questions About the CPA Exam Passing Score

What to Do Next

Write the rule in your study record: “75 or higher on a 0–99 scale; not percentage correct; official pages checked September 15, 2026.” Then add the section, your score or practice evidence, the current Blueprint version, and one next action. If you failed, include the Score Notice and CPR; if you passed, save the notice and verify your board’s credit record.

The first unchecked item is the next evidence gate. Complete it before converting the score into a percentage or changing sections.